ew: 50 most heart-breaking songs of all time

Johnny Cash, "Hurt"
Entertainment Weekly created a list of the 50 most heart-breaking songs of all time. It's a pretty good list, and below are some highlights (all commentary written by the EW staff). I was going to include some of the suggestions from the commenters, but so many of them picked Adult Top 40 songs (The Fray's "How to Save a Life," really?) that I think a lot of them missed the point of the list.

49. Sufjan Stevens, "John Wayne Gacy Jr." (2005)
The only song about a real-life serial murderer on our list, Stevens' intimate, piano-strewn portrait of a killer is truly a masterwork of creeping devastation: "He dressed up like a clown for them / With his face paint white and red / And on his best behavior / In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all."

44. Jackson Browne, "Late for the Sky" (1974)
"Looking hard into your eyes, there was nobody I'd ever known," Browne sings on this intimate peek at a crumbling relationship. "Such an empty surprise to feel so alone." Bedroom navel-gazing at its best.

36. Phil Ochs, "Rehearsals for Retirement" (1969)
The underrated folk singer's reluctant goodbye to the world must have been painful enough to hear when it first came out and his career was still active. Listening to the same words now with the knowledge that Ochs would take his own life seven years later is almost unbearably tragic.

18. Bill Withers, "Ain’t No Sunshine" (1971)
Withers was working in a factory making airplane toilet seats when he wrote this remarkably bleak but beautiful R&B ode to longing for someone when she's gone.
[Side note: It's hard for me to hear this song without immediately thinking of Notting Hill.]

15. Beck, "Lost Cause" (2002)
On the saddest track of Beck's saddest album, love hasn't just slipped away -- it's no longer worth fighting for, replaced by apathy and pretty, pretty exhaustion.

14. Bonnie Raitt, "I Can't Make You Love Me" (1991)
Is there anything more heart-wrenching than begging someone to make love to you one last time -- knowing they don't want you anymore? Can't think of it.
[Side note: Remember when Carrie Underwood auditioned with this piece?]

6. Eric Clapton, "Tears In Heaven" (1992)
The guitarist responded to the accidental death of his four-year-old son with this devastating lament that makes horribly clear the chasm that now lies between Clapton and the loved one he has lost.
[Side note: How is this song not #1? In my very limited opinion, this is the best song ever written.]

3. Johnny Cash, "Hurt" (2002)
The Nine Inch Nails original conjures a sad-if-sadomasochistic glee. Johnny's tear-inducing cover reinterpreted those mixed feelings into ones of genuine loss and heartache.

And then, EW realized they had some glaring omissions and wrote another list of ten, including Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah," Joni Mitchell's "River," Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees," and Tom Waits' "Ruby's Heart."

ew: rom-com clichés to retire

Because I despise Valentine's Day -- a $14.7 billion capitalist market that reminds me that we're little more than consumer-sheep -- I am posting some of romantic comedy clichés that Entertainment Weekly would like to require. There are 24 in all, but I've posted the ones that especially grate on my nerves. Also, you may have in the past picked up on the subtleties of my disdain for romantic comedies, and I'm always ready to post anything anti-rom-com related. So happy Valentine's Day. It's great to love somebody, but -- like this list notes -- it's not great to be cliché.


MEDIA MAVENS
She's smart, she's sassy, and her mistakes can be captured in print or on film. Her job can take her anywhere, introduce her to anyone. Occasionally, she has deadlines.

EXAMPLE: In 13 Going on 30, Jenna (Jennifer Garner) is an editor at a women's magazine that needs to be redesigned, so she calls on her old friend Matty the photographer (Mark Ruffalo).

SEE ALSO: Writers in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Devil Wears Prada, Never Been Kissed, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally..., and Hitch; Talk/news-show employees in Little Black Book, Someone Like You, Bridget Jones's Diary, and Knocked Up.


WORKING GIRL...NEEDS BALANCE

EXAMPLE: We're gonna have to quote EW critic Lisa Schwarzbaum here, because we weren't paid to see New in Town: ''Renee Zellweger teeters in high heels as a brittle singleton executrix who relocates to a Fargo-adjacent burg and discovers the virtues of 'square' Christian values.''

SEE ALSO: The ad exec-turned-baby applesauce maker (Diane Keaton) in Baby Boom; the home swappers (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) in The Holiday; the big-city fashion designer (Reese Witherspoon) who returns to her roots and coon dog cemetery in Sweet Home Alabama; and the movie star (Julia Roberts) who's just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her (side note: worst line EVER) in Notting Hill.


CLUMSY HEROINES
Apparently, the best/easiest way to make a woman seem vulnerable/single is to have her fall on her butt or walk face-first into something. The pratfall epidemic is truly painful.

EXAMPLE: In Bridget Jones's Diary, Bridget (Renée Zellweger) slides down a firemen's pole onto her bottom (and a camera); in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, she parachutes into a pigpen and slides off the roof while spying on Mark (Colin Firth).

SEE ALSO: Jessica Alba in Good Luck Chuck; Amanda Bynes in What a Girl Wants; Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed; Monica Potter in Head Over Heels; Hilary Swank in P.S. I Love You; Anna Faris in The House Bunny; Brittany Murphy in Little Black Book; and Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries.


SCHLUBBY GUY, PRETTY GIRL*
A close cousin to the ''Fat Guy, Skinny Wife'' rule of sitcoms, this applies to movies where a superhot girl falls for a guy totally below her league because she learns what a nice guy he is. When was the last time a schlubby girl got a hot guy?

EXAMPLE: Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) wins the heart of uberbabe Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) in Knocked Up.

SEE ALSO: Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah in Roxanne; and Kevin James and Amber Valletta in Hitch.

* Of course, my male students find absolutely nothing wrong with this because, and I quote, "nobody wants to look at ugly people." Kevin James isn't exactly a Greek god...


I'VE NOTHING TO WEAR...
Rom-coms and fashion go together like horror movies and blood, so it's no surprise that the majority of them include a scene in which a character tries on a series of outfits in front of giggling friends, helpful salespeople, or smitten lovers.

EXAMPLE: Jane (Katherine Heigl) shows Kevin (James Marsden) her entire wardrobe of bridesmaid dresses in 27 Dresses.

SEE ALSO: Pretty Woman and Sex and the City.

best/worst lines of dialogue

My addictive pop culture foe, Entertainment Weekly, has another list out. This time it lists the worst lines of dialogue from films. Wait, this is something I can actually get behind.

There's "I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her" from Notting Hill (which, let's be honest, is a God-awful line that is delivered well by Julia Roberts) and "Love means never having to say I'm sorry" from Love Story, which sends all sorts of wrong messages about love. (No, you really should apologize.) I don't care for some of their other choices -- like Baby's line "I carried a watermelon" from Dirty Dancing which is appropriately and justifiably awkward. But the list includes my second least favorite line of all time: "She rescues him right back" -- the closing lines from Pretty Woman. There are so many reasons why I'm anti-Pretty Woman, yet I've seen it about twenty times and continue to watch it if I ever happen across it on TV. (Damn you TNT and your constant repeats!)



So if that's my second least favorite line... what's the worst? Hands down, no question about it: "Nice boys don't kiss like that," "Oh yes, they fucking do" from Bridget Jones's Diary. I'm sorry... what did he say? The ending of that movie rings so untrue to me (he leaves to buy her a new journal without telling her...?), and those closing lines just confirm that Hollywood trite will find its way into any Jane Austen adaptation. That line goes completely against Mr. Darcy/Mark Darcy's character and it's just so... ugh.

So hmm... what are some of the best lines of dialogues? Let me know if you have any suggestions, but I certainly think these are top notch:

"But... it goes to eleven." -- from This is Spinal Tap, also entirely usable in life. Example: "On an Awesome scale of 1-10, I go to 11."

"Inconceivable!" "I do not think that word means what you think it means." -- best delivery EVER, The Princess Bride, and you can certainly use these lines (and certainly this whole scene) in almost every situation.

"To my big brother George, the richest man in town." -- from my favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life. This line alone makes me cry.

"Daisy... Daisy..." -- from my other favorite movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Perhaps one of the saddest deaths in cinema.

"Fra-gee-lay. It must be Italian." -- it's impossible to pick a favorite from A Christmas Story.

Umm, Robin Williams's entire speech by the lake in Good Will Hunting


"My real name is plain Jane Jones." -- from Closer, though it's difficult to understand the gravitas and sadness of this deceptively simple line. This scene is brilliant. Also, another great line is Clive Owen's character describing a heart: "A heart is a fist covered in blood!"

"Yipee-kay-ay, mother fucker!" -- from, of course, Die Hard. There are a lot of great lines from this, but I certainly use this line whenever I have a feeling of accomplishment. Or, if I'm around children, I censor it as TBS does: "Yipee-kay-ay, melon farmer!"

"It's for me." -- closing lines from The Lives of Others. Perhaps one of my favorite last lines of a film. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this movie. I think it's the best movie made in the last 25 years, and it's my third favorite movie. It's a film that really sticks with you. -- HGW XX/7.

"Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks." -- from Forrest Gump, another deceptively profound lines. I swear, I learned more about love and life from Forrest Gump than I did my own life. (By the way, I think Tom Hanks won his second consecutive Oscar because of one particular scene -- the scene where Jenny and him are dancing and the camera pulls back through a window into the outside rain. Hanks is Gump in that moment.)

"He was my father. And my mother... my brother... my friend. He was you... and me. He was all of us." -- from V for Vendetta. Not going to lie. I saw this movie with about 15 people and I left them without explanation so that I could go cry in my car for a good thirty minutes. This movie really spoke to me, and holy cow, V has my two favorite paintings in his lair.

"Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in." -- from American Beauty. People tend to think of this movie as overrated, but that's one of the consequences for being brilliant and then other people noticing that brilliance. Is it pretentious? Maybe, but that's such an unfortunate word to apply to this movie. I heart this movie.

Hmm, perhaps I'm getting carried away here. There are certainly some great scripts out there. But these are lines that effect me emotionally -- they embody the essence of that film and my relationship to that film.


Alan Sepinwall recently posted something similar. He asked what pop culture dialogue makes it into everyone's daily lives, and he received 110 comments -- and counting! Below are some highlights from (some earlier) comments on his post:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "Bring out your dead" becomes "Bring out your laundry" or "Bring out your recycling", etc.

The Simpsons: "Oh Lisa, it's not that I don't understand, it's just that I don't care."

Arrested Development: "Her?" "I think I just blue myself." "COME ON!" "STEVE HOLT!" "I'm an ideas man, Michael. I think I proved that with Fuck Mountain."

The Big Lebowski: "This is not Nam. This is (insert word). There are rules."

As far as pop culture in everyday lives, I think I say "He's a clean old man" (A Hard Day's Night) and "This is a very inter-esting situation" (It's a Wonderful Life) fairly often, and I'm going to try and incorporate the following line into my common vernacular: "He irks me. He's irksome." (The Mentalist). Perhaps on another day I'll post all of my favorite lines from 30 Rock. I seriously should make an effort to quote that show every day. I wish my life were like an episode of 30 Rock -- BLERG!

ew:best jim halpert pranks

Entertainment Weekly has compiled a list of the best Jim Halpert pranks from The Office. Jim Halpert tied with with Leoben Conoy for Best TV Husband, so I thought this list was only appropriate. Enjoy!


JELL-OH NO, YOU DIDN'T!, "Pilot" (1.1)
Jim puts Dwight's stapler in a mold of jello, an homage to the original BBC series.

PRACTICALITOUS-JOKITIS, "Health Care" (1.3)

Dwight: Someone forged medical information, and that's a felony.
Jim: OK, Whoa, all right 'cause that's a pretty intense accusation. How do you know that they're fake?
Dwight: [reading from a sheet] Uh, Leprosy, Flesh Eating Bacteria, Hot Dog Fingers, Government Created Killer Nano Robot Infection.

THE NICKELER!, "Conflict Resolution" (2.21)
No one can truly appreciate the magnitude of Jim's high jinks until taking a look at Dwight's complaint files. Jim boasts an impressive rap sheet: he's paid off his coworkers to call Dwight "Dwayne,'' replaced Dwight's pens with crayons, put a bloody glove in Dwight's desk and tried to convince him he was a murderer. But perhaps the most elaborate prank in the hefty complaint file is Jim's alleged tampering with Dwight's telephone handset. Jim is charged with incrementally increasing the weight of Dwight's phone with nickels, and then abruptly removing the change. The result? Dwight nailed himself in the face with his phone.

FAX FROM THE FUTURE, ''Branch Closing" (3.7)
My all-time favorite prank! At the new branch, Jim sends Dwight faxes using Dwight's stationary, and he signs them "Future Dwight." After receiving one fax, Dwight jumps on Stanley to save him from a poisonous cup of coffee.

To: Dwight
From: Future Dwight
Subject: Office coffee
Dwight: At 8 a.m. today, someone poisons the coffee. Do not drink the coffee. More instructions will follow. Cordially, Future Dwight

VENDING MY STUFF, "Booze Cruise" (2.11)
Jim puts all of Dwight's desk belongings in a vending machine, including Dwight's wallet, which means he can't even buy back his own stuff. Jim hands him a back of nickels, and we're left watching Dwight buy his stuff back one nickel at a time.

FRIURSDAY, "Performance Review" (2.8)
Jim and Pam talk about the day like it's Thursday, even though it's really Wednesday.

Pam: [trying to make Dwight think that it's Friday] Hey, did you watch The Apprentice last night?
Jim: Yeah, I can't believe who they kicked out!
Pam: Oh, I know!
Dwight: Damn it! I missed it! I was out drinking with my Laser Tage Team, I can't believe I did that! I never go out on Thursday nights.

DWIGHT-SQUARED, ''Product Recall" (3.20)
Jim comes to work dressed as Dwight. With a pair of $4 drugstore glasses, a tie from the Salvation Army, a short-sleeve button-up shirt, a calculator watch, and an unfortunate hair part, you too can become a Dwight look-alike! To be even more convincing as a Schrute, be sure to ask a series of nonsensical questions.

PAVLOV PRANK, ''Phyllis' Wedding" (3.15)
Inspired by Pavolov's prank, Jim conditions Dwight to ask for an Altoid at the sound of a computer login bell.


YES, DWIGHT, THAT IS THE REAL BEN FRANKLIN, ''Ben Franklin'' (3.14)
In one of my favorite episodes, Jim hires a Ben Franklin impersonator to be a stripper for Phyllis's bachelorette party. Dwight tries to catch Ben Franklin in a lie and is 99% sure it's not the real Ben Franklin.

Dwight: Far-sighted or near-sighted?
Ben Franklin: Both. I invented the bifocals.
Dwight: AAGGHH!!

GAYDAR, "Gay Witch Hunt" (3.1)
My second favorite from my favorite episode. After finding out that Oscar is gay, Michael and Dwight call Jim to find a gaydar machine (to which Jim suggests trying Brookstone), and then Jim sends Dwight a homemade gaydar, which is really a metal detector. Dwight scans it over Oscar and it goes off around his belt-buckle and Dwight thinks it works. Then he it goes off around his own belt-buckle... and the fear in his eyes is priceless.

ew: 50 biggest emmy snubs

Entertainment Weekly recently made a list of the 50 Biggest Emmy Snubs. Below are shocking snubs I agree with from the 26-50 range.

40. James Callis, Battlestar Galactica -- possibly my favorite character on TV
36. Michael Cera, Arrested Development -- who else can make loving your cousin so adorably cute?
34. David Cross, Arrested Development -- three words: "I blue myself!"
30. Matthew Fox, Lost -- he is the male version of Mary-Louise Parker

And now from the 25 Biggest Snubs section:

25. Sports Night -- somehow this Sorkin gem didn't win anything
23. My So-Called Life -- teen angst at its best and most well articulated (I heart Angela and Brian)
22. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- spouting off sarcasm is not as easy as it looks
16. Kristin Davis, Sex and the City -- when Miranda tells Charlotte she's keeping the baby, Davis gave the best reaction I've ever seen on TV
15. Battlestar Galactica -- IT'S THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION
11. The Wire -- this show is mentioned in the same breath of BSG as the best show on television
7. Norman Fell, Three's Company -- I've never seen another misogynist homophobic landlord I've loved so much
4. Lauren Graham, Gilmore Girls -- seriously, this was a major oversight
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- IT WAS THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION

And now for my thoughts on the Emmys...

I enjoyed Oprah's opening, especially the clever pun that television entertains, educates, and inspires us, bringing our live into high definition. Aww. Indeed.

They should never do multiple hosts again, especially with Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, or Ryan Seacrest. I don't know why this concept is so alien to award show directors, but I would actually rather watch three hours of acceptance speeches than a bunch of mediocre sketches that don't make me laugh. Don Rickles had the moment of the evening when he kept going off script. That's a comic legend -- let him host the show next year! But if not him, then get Ricky Gervais and Steve Carrell to co-host. Their playful taunting was the only fun moment of the evening (besides Rickles), and it was again unscripted. I could watch them engaged in a staring contest all night. But then Gervais's introduction leads into... a montage of past winners? Wait a second. The show is constantly reminding us that speeches should be kept short and that they don't want to run out of time, and then they show past winners unable to find words during their speeches? Umm, no.

I was also unimpressed with Klum's strip at the beginning. She came out in a power suit, masculine and still sexy, and William Shatner had to literally rip her clothes off to objectify her as a sexual object. I read that Klum changed her outfit over 70 times, and that's just absurd. I understand that designers want to advertise their designs, but -- and this is blasphemous -- award shows should not be about the clothes... UNLESS it's about costume design.

I enjoyed Laura Linney's acceptance speech. It was short, to the point, and she managed to thank "all the community organizers who help form our country." That's my girl.

Major Winners:

Lead Actor in a Comedy – Alec Baldwin!!!
Lead Actress in a Drama – Glenn Close
Lead Actor in a Drama – Brian Cranston
Lead Actress in a Comedy – Tina Fey
Best Comedy – 30 Rock
Best Drama – Mad Men!!!

Glenn Close gave a great line when she said of her fellow nominees, "I think we're proving that complicated, powerful, mature women are sexy in high entertainment and can carry a show." And although Cranston was a long shot, I'm glad that the Emmys finally decided not to overlook him because he really is a fantastic actor. But Jon Hamm's day is coming, I promise you. (Also, Christina Hendricks, who plays Joan Holloway, should definitely be nominated, especially for last Sunday's episode.) And Baldwin was ever-so gracious and grateful, and I'm so happy he won. And yay for Mad Men winning best drama show (technically it's "Outstanding Drama Series").

ew: 25 memorable nicolas cage roles

Wow. Just... wow. Entertainment Weekly lists 25 memorable Nicolas Cage roles. Keep in mind that "memorable" does not necessarily mean good. In fact, most of these roles are memorably bad. You know, because Cage is the worst actor ever. Still not convinced? Look through EW's photo gallery. He has the same expression in all of them.


23. Charlie in Peggy Sue Got Married. The most annoying and nasally character ever. I hate this character so much.
22. McDunnough in Raising Arizona. Ugh.
21. Ronny Cammareri in Moonstruck. I'd rather watch Cher play opposite herself in this role. Or... she could've played opposite a cardboard cutout of Cage and it still would've been better.
18. Jack in Honeymoon in Vegas. Sadly, I've seen this movie three or four times. Surprisingly, I have not gouged out my eyes.
16. Charlie in It Could Happen to You. You may get this movie confused with Peggy Sue Got Married because both characters are named Charlie. You might also get them confused because the performances are equally awful.
15. Ben in Leaving Las Vegas. The God-forsaken movie that gave him an Oscar. It's like Pulp Fiction for John Travolta... if the movie didn't exist, neither would his career.
14. Dr. Stanley Goodspeed in The Rock. Is it in Cage's contract to have crappy character names? See also Moonstruck and Wild at Heart.


12. Caster Troy/Sean Archer in Face Off. This movie is only watchable because of John Woo's directing. But make no mistake: the combination of John Travolta and Nicolas Cage will blow up your mind. It's just unnatural.
11. Seth in City of Angels. Horrible, trite, and unengaging remake. And this has to be Cage's most uninteresting role. He doesn't even change the inflection in his voice.
9. Frank in Bringing Out the Dead. "Considered one of the actor's best films since Leaving Las Vegas." That's like saying Tom Arnold's best film was True Lies. The actor stills sucks even if the movie is good.
7. Charlie/Donald Kaufman in Adaptation. Okay, I concede. The ONLY role of his that I actually enjoy. I love this movie (one of the few films I call "brilliant"), but realize that Cage works because Kaufman is a Cage-like character. He's still the same character from any of Cage's other movies.
5. Ben Gates in National Treasure. One of the worst movies ever. (Right next to National Treasure 2.) Cage should not play characters that are intelligent because he can't pull it off.
4. Yuri Orlov in Lord of War. I actually wanted to see this... but oh, Nicolas Cage is in it.
2. Edward Malus in The Wicker Man. Spoiler: he dies. Hmm, perhaps this is worth renting...

he's just not that into cult films about bad shakespeare sequels

He's Just Not That Into You
This is really up in the air for me. I loved the line when it was simply Miranda's epiphany, but I hated the idea of the book and then the idea of a movie based on a book based on a line from a TV show. I most likely will not see this movie (until it comes to Netflix, and even then, the chances are low), but I do like the poster. It's appropriate, it's aesthetically interesting, and it certainly appeals to the target audience. With a cast this big, I'm glad they don't have pictures of everyone in the cast on the poster. As much I adore Love Actually, the poster is rather silly-looking.

From Cinematical's 7 Good Ideas for Bad Shakespeare Sequels:

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Ha ha, joke's on Petruchio! Kate the Shrew was never tamed, it was all a ruse to win that big wager. Once her husband is asleep, she takes the money, and pairs up with Bianca and Mrs. Hortensio. They run off to Greece, pursued by Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio. The girls rob banks, hook up with handsome drifters, kill unpleasant fellows, and leave a trail of mayhem behind them. It all ends well, though, when the three girls hop on board a ship and make it to a mythical land called Mexico.

From The Movie Blog, David Cronenberg is turning his film The Fly into an opera. Umm... I would only be interested if Jeff Goldblum can sing.


Entertainment Weekly names the 25 Greatest Cult Movies Since '83, and I think it's a rather confusing list. (I always seem to have a problem with their lists, don't I?) Their definition of "cult movie" seems to range between "bad movies that are unexplainably enjoyable" and "movies that I love but aren't by any means a film." In the former category, I would put their choices of Repo Man, Showgirls, and They Live. In the latter category, I would put their choices of Scarface, Clerks, and Dazed and Confused. But true cult films -- remarkable philosophical cinematic pleasures masquerading as B-movie crap -- that they include are This is Spinal Tap, Heathers, Evil Dead 2, and The Big Lebowski. Why the heck is Shawshank Redemption #1? If it's Internet Movie Database's #1 movie, it can't be a cult film. And why make the list "since 1983"? Certainly there are 25 better cult films of the last 25 years.

The trailer for No Heroics, a Britcom about off-duty superheroes:


It seems like quite a clever parody. My favorite line? "I bet you're fun at the office party." Also, Timebomb's personality is hysterical.

Author Alicia Erian responds to the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' request that a movie based on her novel, Towelhead, should be changed:

"As an Arab-American woman, I am of course aware that the title of my book is an ethnic slur. Indeed, I selected the title to highlight one of the novel’s major themes: racism. In the tradition of Dick Gregory’s autobiography Nigger, the Jewish magazine Heeb, or the feminist magazine Bitch, the title is rude and shocking, but it is not gratuitous. Besides the fact that the main character must endure taunting about her ethnicity (including being called a towelhead), so much of the novel’s plot is fueled by the characters’ attitudes toward race."

Read the rest of her statement here. It really bothers me when people are up in arms over something they haven't seen or read (I'm guilty of being anti-Twilight, despite never having read it), but in this particular case, I sympathize with the Islamic council. I do not agree with them or think that the title of the film should be changed, but I can understand why they would want to prevent the perpetuating negative myth about their race and culture in America. Once they see the film, though, I think they'll understand that the positive strength and courage of their race will be presented.

ew mad about 'half-blood' push-back

You've probably heard that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince's release has been pushed back a full year and will be released on July 17, 2009. Every spring, summer, and fall, Entertainment Weekly distributes a movie preview that is packed with two and three times the regular amount of pages. It's a highlight for EW subscribers, myself included, and this fall, Daniel Radcliffe graces the cover. But it's not just that the Half-Blood coverage is premature; it's that EW and Harry Potter share a parent company, Warner Bros.. Needless to say, they're a wee bit annoyed that no one cared to tell them about the switch. (Best part of that link: "EW readers now in possession of a 'Dewey Beats Truman' collectible.")

Films get moved around all of the time -- Valkyrie has had, what, ten different release dates? -- so why am I posting on this? Well, I take great issue with Warner Bros.'s excuse. They're blaming the writer's stike, of all things. What does the writer's strike have to do with this movie? The script was already written. Production had already gone underway, and unless those pint-sized leads decided to picket with the writers over in England, I really don't understand why the writer's strike would have any effect on them since Harry Potter takes years to plan/make. I don't know what the real reason is, perhaps intimidation from The Dark Knight? I know that this studio is really banking on the financial success of Half-Blood, and now that they have second dibs (Terminator Salvation already has their date fixed) on next year's summer blockbuster schedule, they can manipulate the release of any other film coming out next year.

But the teaser trailer's already out. They're in (or near) post-production. They just want more time... but the question is why? And stop blaming the writers!

Update, 8/19: Cinematical is debunking the Half-Blood Prince rumors, including Warner Bros.'s silly fear of Twilight's release, Radcliffe being in Equus, and that they were aiming to duplicate Dark Knight's box office success by releasing it on the one-year anniversary.

ew: 25 greatest movie musicals

Entertainment Weekly has counted down the 25 Great Movie Musicals of All Time, and because there's so few options to choose from I actually don't have many problems with this list.


25. Once: Why is this at the bottom of their list? This movie reinvented the movie-musical concept. Don't believe me? Watch "Falling Slowly" -- easily one of my favorite songs.
19. Sound of Music: See my Top 5 below.
17. Chicago: This seems about right. It put movie-musicals back on the map, but it hasn't been around long enough to truly be considered "one of the greats." And of course, the music is phenomenal.
15. Hairspray: What? This is above The Sound of Music? Other than the song "There's a Light," this musical is kind of crap. I don't like the stage version either.
14. Grease: One of the most iconic movies and it's only #14? I dare you to find anyone that doesn't know all of the words to every song. This should be higher.
8. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut: Hahahaha. Haha. Ha. This should not be #8, but I appreciate the inclusion.


7. A Hard Day's Night: "That's not your father. I've seen your grandfather!" "That's the other one. I'm entitled to two." This movie is really amazing and #7 sounds about right.
5. Mary Poppins: A child's favorite movie? Check. Animated penguins? Check, check. Julie Andrews? Triple-check. Perfection! And the songs are wonderful. "Step in Time" is one of my favorite scenes.
4. Cabaret: I'm not so crazy about this one... blasphemy, I know.
3. Singing in the Rain: See my Top 5 below.
2. Westside Story: Once I realized that this was a modern take on Romeo and Juliet, I immediately liked it less. I actually really despise this musical. It's dated, the music is horrific, and the choreography is complete 80s. Snapping while playing basketball and flicking knives? Really?
1. Wizard of Oz: Okay, it's a great movie (top ten, in fact), but as far as musicals... I can only remember one song from this movie. And then it takes me a while to remember the others. I don't know. I just wouldn't put this in my top ten. To me, the Movie-Musical category should be primarily about the music, and Wizard of Oz just isn't.


My Top 5 (in order):
5. The Little Mermaid: Animated films tend to be lumped into the cartoon category, but let's not forget that Disney has cranked out some really fantastic songs over the years. Have you ever met a female that did know "Part of Your World" in its entirety? Have you ever seen anything more romantic than "Kiss the Girl"? The metaphors are wonderful (a fish may love a human, but where would they live?), and it's a feel-good movie with heart and morals.
4. Mary Poppins: Seriously, have you ever met anyone who didn't like this movie? Have you ever met anyone who hasn't seen the movie? Have you ever met anyone that didn't know the word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"?
3. Once: One of my favorite movies, one of my favorite soundtracks. The leads have such honest chemistry together, and it's a modern musical. It's the next evolution of movie-musicals. It's a strong love story without so much as a kiss. Now that's impressive.
2. Singing in the Rain: A few years ago, I watched this with a friend who had never seen the movie. I kept telling him "this is my favorite scene" every time a new scene came on. The three leads are infectious, and the plot is damn near perfect. A musical picture about making a musical picture? And Debbie Reynold's Kathy Seldon is truly a remarkable and empowering female character. She resists Don Lockwood for the first portion of the film, and she leaves him when she thinks he's double-crossed her. No sympathy for her. She's strong. And the music! "Moses, he knows-es his toes-es aren't roses, but Moses supposes erroneously!"
1. Sound of Music: True story: my mother refused to give birth to me until this movie was over. "But the Nazi part hasn't come yet," she said. I was born on Christmas Eve, and lucky for me, this film is still played every Christmas Eve and so I am able to watch it on my birthday. I grew up with this movie. It's such a wonderful love story, despite being far removed from actual events. Maria is strong and smart and kind, and she is just the person to bring music back in the Captain's life. The music is top-notch, and I can't think of another movie where I know every word, every note to every song. There's really no question about it. Sound of Music is #1.

ew: 24 smartest tv/movie characters

Entertainment Weekly has created a list the 24 smartest tv/movie characters. There are the obvious (Temperance Brennan from Bones, Dr. House from House, and Will Hunting from, well, you know) but some interesting choices include Adrian Monk (Monk), Doc Emmett Brown (Back to the Future, the ultimate absent-minded professor), and Jamal Wallace (Finding Forrester, such an underrated film).


My favorite on the list: Leonard and Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. I would never be friends with Sheldon in real life -- he's kind of mean -- but conversations with him would be amazing (like his problem with teleportation, for example).

Sadly the gallery lacks many female characters. I think there's 4-5 out of 24. And Gabrielle from High School Musical is one of those. Hmm... what about sensical characters? There's book smarts and then there's street smarts. Intelligence does not necessarily mean Doogie Howser. It could mean Leela from Futurama or Liz Lemon from 30 Rock.

I want to like the list (simply for existing), but I think EW is using a very limiting definition of "intelligent." Who is missing from this list? Would it be cheating if I were to put a real person on the list, like Julia Robert's title role from Erin Brokovich?